Accidentally in Love
by Thegreenconsultingdragonlord
Summary: A series of unrelated Merthur one-shots.
1. The Prince and The Servant

**This is my first Merlin fic... uh... series of fics. **

**I have written these for the tumblr Merthur Party event. For the event we have to make fan works based on a different prompt every day for a week. The week is divided into three sections: Past, Present and Future. The first four days are in the 'Past' category, and revolve around the progression of Merlin and Arthur's relationship set in the canon-era. In the case of my fic, the name of each chapter will be the prompt the fic was based on. **

**Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**PAST**

**The Prince and The Servant**

The smell of pork hit Arthur flat in the face as he entered the large hall.

Hunger pangs stabbed at the pit of his stomach, but he kept a straight face as he stood stiffly by his father's side. King Alyan, who seemed to be about seven thousand years old, was gradually making his way through the line of kings, shaking their hands with agonising slowness. Once they made their greetings and said a few pleasantries they could sit down at the table, Arthur reminded himself, trying to ignore the fact that they would still be forced to listen to an astronomical amount of speeches before they were finally allowed to eat.

Why was the food already laid out anyway? The alluring smell was making the waiting even more unbearable. It was obviously a ploy by Alyan. A cruel temptation. A devious tactic with the sole purpose of torturing Arthur. There was definitely a diabolical side to the seemingly mild mannered old king.

Arthur's eyes strayed, as they had been doing increasingly frequently, to the opposite side of the hall where the servants were lined up. He spotted Merlin in a heartbeat, because of that ridiculously bright blue shirt he always wore. Why were all his clothes such hideously luminous shades? And why was that god-awful neckerchief always around his neck? What was he trying to hide? It had been less than a fortnight since the gangly creature had been employed as his servant, and already he was accompanying Arthur to Eltir's annual feast. Arthur was positive that there was no way this could end other than with a disaster. That clumsy fool was the worst servant Arthur had ever seen… he would be surprised if the night _didn't _end with Merlin spilling stew on some nobleman's clothes.

"Good evening, Uther." An old wavering voice said, bringing Arthur back to attention.

"Alyan." Uther said warmly, clasping the old man's hand, "What a marvellous feast you have laid out for us."

"And this must be your son," Alyan said, ignoring the statement, "My, my. How he has grown."

Arthur forced himself to smile. "King Alyan. Thank you so much for inviting me to the feast again this year."

"Of course, my boy." The man said, touching Arthur's cheek with a liver-spotted hand.

Yup. He had definitely put out the food to torment him.

The man continued down the line and Arthur let himself sag a little as his father led the way to the long table. Arthur's eyes found Merlin again - the boy was talking amiably to a girl beside him. Why did he keep fidgeting with his hair? Arthur groaned internally. He wasn't trying to _flirt _with her, was he? How could that ungainly creature think he could charm a girl… particularly one that was so obviously out of his league?

Arthur sat down in his assigned chair, a little more forcefully than he had intended to, and received an odd look from his father. King Olaf's daughter, Vivian, who was sitting across the table from him gave him a small smile. Arthur returned it, albeit somewhat unenthusiastically.

"Are you alright?" Uther asked in a whisper.

"Yes, of course father, why wouldn't I be?"

"You seem somewhat… agitated."

Arthur made a strangled laugh. "Not at all. I'm just a little hungry."

Uther sighed and nodded knowingly. "They always take forever to serve food here. Each year I tend to lose my appetite by the time we actually get to eat."

He then turned around and began chatting and eventually laughing uproariously with the man beside him. Arthur fidgeted with his cutlery.

"Prince Arthur, is it not?" Vivian asked, and Arthur nodded.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, my lady."

She giggled and Arthur chanced a look at Merlin again. The girl he was talking to was laughing now, and slapping his arm. He was laughing too… his eyes crinkled at the edges, that stupid little dimple appearing on his cheek. Arthur exhaled loudly, startling Vivian.

"Oh, my lord," she said, flustered, "I didn't meant to offend you."

"What?" Arthur asked, disoriented. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I was thinking about something else."

"I was just asking about that ring on your left hand… was it your mother's?"

Arthur looked down at the ring, blankly. "Oh… no." he said, hastily, "No, this was given to me by an old family friend, Sir. Gorlois."

She smiled and Arthur was glad when a servant boy came around serving wine. Arthur raised his goblet at Vivian and she reciprocated, still smiling coquettishly.

Arthur knew what Olaf did to men who flirted with his daughter, and he quickly turned to the prince beside him, striking up a conversation so that Vivian couldn't continue theirs. He wasn't interested in flirting with her anyway… she wasn't his type. Arthur glanced towards the end of the hall again, but the servants had been whisked away into the kitchens.

* * *

The speeches finally finished and the food was served. Arthur had to remind himself not to openly salivate as a boy cut slivers of the pork and put them onto his plate. He quickly attacked the meat, trying to eat as much as he could without seeming to eager.

"Don't eat too much, my lord." A teasing tone said, catching his attention, "You don't want to be putting on any more weight."

Arthur frowned at Merlin's grinning face. "Just serve me the potatoes and shut up," he muttered. Merlin served him some of the fluffy potatoes, winking before he moved on to the next person. Out of all the peasants in Camelot why did his father have to choose the most impertinent one to be his servant?

He _was _a terrible servant. Absolutely awful. Clumsy, distracted… always creating a mess and then coming up with odd stories as a way of explanation. Yet, Arthur had never complained about him to his father. If he did, Uther would reinstate his old servant, Thomas. Thomas was a far better servant but Arthur didn't want him back. He was a snivelling idiot. Of course, his fearful behaviour around Arthur could be attributed to the way Arthur would occasionally bully him a little… but if he was going to be his companion in battle, then he should have been made of sterner stuff. Like Merlin. He was an oaf, but at least he was a brave one.

"Any princesses caught your eye as yet?" Prince Eglos asked from beside him.

"I've hardly gotten a chance to converse with anyone but my father," Arthur said with a sigh.

"Still… there are some beautiful girls here," Eglos said, gesturing with his cup to a group of girls on the far side of the table. "Look at the girl with the brown curls. Is she not absolutely stunning?"

Arthur realized with a start that the prince was right. The girls at the feast were gorgeous. They had all grown a lot since the year before, and now looked more like women than girls. And they had been sitting at the table all night… why hadn't Arthur noticed them?

There was a loud crash and Arthur spun around to see a petrified Merlin standing empty handed across from King Olaf. The king was glaring down at the ground where a large pot was overturned, splattering mashed potatoes everywhere. Merlin quickly bent down and picked up the large pot, sending the king a sheepish look.

"I'm so sorry," he said, "I'll get this cleaned up immediately."

"You are such a fool!" Olaf roared, "Whose buffoon are you?"

Arthur risked a quick glance at his father. Uther was covering his face with a bejewelled hand, shaking his head reprovingly.

"I'm…" Merlin looked around the room, panicked.

"Don't you know who you belong to boy?" Olaf roared. He glared for a second at Merlin's wide-eyed look and then burst out laughing.

Merlin laughed awkwardly along with him, unsure of what else to do.

"You dropped a pot… now you must face the consequences," Olaf said, thumping Merlin so hard on the back he almost dropped the pot again. "You must dance for us!"

"What?" Merlin's distressed expression made it clear that he would have preferred being thrown into prison. "Honestly," he said, embarrassed, "You don't want to see me do that."

"Of course we do, _boy_." Olaf said, "Come on, right now. Start dancing."

"Really, I don't think…"

Olaf grabbed his neckerchief, pulling him close. "Do it, or I'll make sure you get thrown in the stocks."

By then Arthur had had enough. He pushed his chair back, the squeal of the wood against the floor made everyone turn towards him.

"Alright King Olaf," he said, brusquely, "That's enough."

Olaf let go of Merlin's scarf, sending him skittering backwards. The boy didn't look frightened, just a little jarred, and he stared at Arthur with shock in his eyes. Olaf was glaring daggers at Arthur, his teeth pressed tightly together.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" He spat, "You're nothing but a boy."

"Yes, I'm just a boy and I don't have any right to command you," Arthur said, trying to sound as humble as he could, "But that is my servant, and I do not wish to see him humiliated."

Olaf let out a derisive laugh. "You would stand up and insult me to prevent your _servant _from being humiliated?"

"I meant no insult." Arthur said, soberly, "I merely wished to…"

"You are insolent!" Olaf snarled.

"Arthur, what are you doing?" Uther hissed from his side, "Just tell your boy to dance, it's hardly a matter worth fighting over."

"He isn't a trained monkey!" Arthur insisted, looking from his father to Olaf. "He's a clumsy fool, but he doesn't deserve to be degraded like this!"

Olaf stood up, sending his goblet of wine flying from the table. "I will…"

"Now, now." King Alyan said, raising his hand. "This is no time to fight."

He looked gently at Merlin. "Go off to the kitchens, boy. Get a mop to clean this up."

Merlin nodded wordlessly and ran off to the kitchens.

"Olaf, calm down." Alyan continued, smiling softly at him, "The young prince is merely standing up for one of his own. Isn't that a quality to be admired?"

Olaf muttered angry words under his breath but sat down, scowling. Arthur sent King Alyan a thankful smile before sitting down himself.

Uther shook his head. "Honestly, Arthur," he muttered angrily. "You almost caused war for a servant."

* * *

Arthur was alone in the guest chambers that had been allotted to him, when there was a timid knock on the door and Merlin appeared, smiling remorsefully.

"I'm sorry for what happened out there," he mumbled, walking over to him and helping him take off his shirt. "I was trying so hard to keep anything from falling, but… these things happen, you know."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Only to you."

He tried not to think about Merlin's hands on his bare skin as the boy helped him take off his pants.

"Thank you," Merlin said, a little shyly, "For… standing up for me."

"I wasn't standing up for you," Arthur said, irritably, "I just didn't want to see you dance. I would have lost my appetite."

Merlin grinned, but silently got him out of the rest of his clothes and into his pajamas.

"Well whatever it was," he said, finally, "I appreciate it."

"Why? Because you didn't have to make a fool of yourself in front of that _girl?_"

"Who?" Merlin asked, confused, "Do you mean Keela?"

Arthur waved a hand, brushing it off. "I don't know what her name is," he said, scornfully, "But you were flirting with her."

"I was not flirting," Merlin said, with a laugh. "I was just being friendly."

"You were flirting!" Arthur insisted, "I saw you!"

"I was not!"

"You were!"

"So what if I was?" Merlin challenged.

"So what if you were?" Arthur countered, "I don't care. I just wanted you to admit it."

"For what reason?"

"You were denying it."

A small smile appeared on Merlin's face.

"Dollophead," he said, softly.

He started to walk towards the door, but paused and turned around to face Arthur. For a split second, their eyes met.

Arthur felt his stomach flutter… a little painfully.

It must have been that damn pork he ate.


	2. The Prat and The Idiot

**Here's my second one-shot. The prompt was 'The Prat and The Idiot'. I tried to show the second step in their relationship where they've grown friendly and insult each other a lot, but where they're not yet at the point where they can understand each other on a deeper level. **

**I tried to do something different in this one by writing it in a first-person POV... and then I remembered why I don't write in first-person POV XD **

**Hope you like it, anyway :)**

* * *

**The Prat and The Idiot**

"Shut up, Gwaine!" Merlin's laugh rang out across the woods and I smiled despite myself. There's something intoxicating about his laugh. About him in general, really. I don't know what it is. He's one of those rare people who have this overwhelming internal warmness to them that you just can't ignore. The knights and I can vouch for the fact that the more you get to know him, the more you realize how exceptional he is.

I remember when I first met him. I didn't think there was anything special about him then. Though I did have a crush on him, so maybe subconsciously I knew there was something. But he seemed normal. Simple and scrawny with scruffy hair and an eager, wide-eyed expression. That expression is gone now… but that's probably because of Arthur. Last week I saw him throw a boot at Merlin. _A boot. _No wonder all the naivety has been knocked out of that boy.

"You were!" Gwaine was saying, laughing, "You were so deep in the bushes, I didn't even realize you were hiding there until you coughed!"

"I wasn't hiding!" Merlin insisted, "I tripped on a tree root… honestly."

"Stop being embarrassed by it, Merlin. You didn't have a sword. If I had nothing to defend myself with, I'd be hiding too." Gwaine said, slapping him good-naturedly on the back. Merlin opened his mouth as if to retort, but immediately closed it. He does that a lot. It's odd. Like there are several things he wants to tell us, but can't.

"I wasn't hiding though," he mumbled.

Gwaine prodded his right cheek and Merlin smiled, his dimple appearing. Gwaine's face broke out into a devilish grin. "You looked like a scared little rabbit."

"Oh, shut up." Merlin repeated, laughing again.

"It's a compliment. Rabbits are very cute."

The tips of Merlin's ears turned bright red and he quickly focused all his attention on the rock he was playing with. I heard a mutter from beside me and I turned towards it in surprise. I didn't realize Arthur was still awake! He had been sitting next to Gwaine during dinner, but moved next to me so that he could sleep under the tree. He was lying down in his bedroll when I last turned to check on him, but right now he was sitting it in, lounging against the tree, his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

"Arthur?" I asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, it's fine." he muttered, "The ground is just extremely uncomfortable. I hate sleeping in the woods."

I nodded, but said nothing. He'd been grumpy all day. Admittedly, I knew why. He hated Gwaine's company.

I was surprised when I first realized it… still am, a little. How can _anyone _hate Gwaine's company? He's funny, chatty, loyal… and well, yes, maybe I'm a little biased because he's also exceedingly attractive. Maybe that is it. I'm positive even Arthur in all his obliviousness can tell how attractive Gwaine is. Maybe it irritates him. After all, he's used to getting attention from girls for his looks. Perhaps he doesn't like to share that attention. Or maybe he doesn't like Gwaine's brash jokes and talkative nature.

Deep inside, I've always sort of hoped that Arthur's distaste for Gwaine was because he saw him flirting with me on the first day he arrived in Camelot. I doubt it, but you never know, right? Well, whatever it was… Arthur had never quite warmed up to our new friend.

The night was getting colder and somehow, over the course of the evening, Gwaine and Merlin had drawn even closer together, their cheerful expressions lit by the red glow of the fire. I lay down in my bed roll, shifting to avoid the stones and the noisy leaves. So far we had already faced bandits and a wolf pack, so I fervently hoped tomorrow's journey would go smoother. Tomorrow night we should be in Mercia though, so at least we would get a break from sleeping in the woods.

I don't quite know why Arthur brought me along. He said something about enjoying my company, and how he needed someone to cook food for them while in the kingdom. Which made some sense, since we weren't going to be staying in Bayard's castle. We were on a secret mission to locate a woman in the town of Belgit who supposedly had the only available cure for a new unnamed disease that had been spreading through Camelot. Arthur wanted to lay low and buy the medicine off her in secret, so that Bayard wouldn't assume his presence in the kingdom meant he was plotting an attack. However, a part of me knew that there was another reason he brought me along. Merlin knows how to cook. Granted, my food is better, but the point is that they would have been fine without me. Call me crazy, but it did seem like Arthur had an ulterior motive for asking to me come along.

Arthur stood up, the crackle of the leaves startling both Merlin and Gwaine.

"One of you can sleep," Arthur instructed, "I'll take the first watch."

"It's alright, sire." Merlin said, smiling, "We've got it."

"Oh I can see that." Arthur said, rolling his eyes. "The two of you are so deep in conversation, a bear could maul you and you wouldn't even notice." He shoved his sword into the mud behind Merlin. "I'm not putting my life in the hands of you two idiots. I'll take the first watch."

"I'll sit up with you." Gwaine offered.

"No," Arthur said, bluntly. "You go to sleep."

Gwaine's surprised expression changed to a dirty look as he stood up and walked over to his bag. He looked over at me as he unrolled his bedroll and I sent him an apologetic smile. While the _reason _Arthur didn't like Gwaine was a mystery, the fact that he didn't like him was common knowledge. So much so that even the usually unobservant Gwaine was aware of it.

"What was that all about?" I thought I heard Merlin hiss, "What is the matter with you today?"

"I was trying to sleep and you two were gabbing like old maids," Arthur grumbled.

"You're a prat."

"I'm your king."

"Alright, you're a _royal _prat, then."

Merlin huffed and leaned against a large rock and Arthur exhaled loudly.

Gwaine pulled his bedroll up beside mine.

"Arthur doesn't like me much, does he?" he asked, settling down under the covers.

"Arthur doesn't like change," I said, sighing, "You've come and integrated yourself into our little group. He feels… threatened, that's all."

"Threatened?" Gwaine laughed disbelievingly, "By what?"

"You have the talent to be a knight yet you're not, which brings you closer to the commoners." I reasoned, "Because of his upbringing, Arthur has always felt at a distance from them. But you.. you have skill _and_ the friendship of the peasants. He wants what you have."

That's what I thought the reason was, anyway.

Gwaine nodded thoughtfully. "I guess you're right." He smiled, "Thanks Gwen."

"Anytime."

I gazed up at the stars and let the exhaustion from the day finally overpower me.

* * *

It was pitch dark when I woke up desperately needing to go. I contemplated waking Gwaine up, but I didn't want him standing around as I… well, did my business. Arthur and Merlin weren't asleep, so they must have still been taking watch. I'd probably be safe if I didn't wander too far. I snuck over to the tree next to the large one where we'd made camp and quietly did what I had to. I was tiptoeing back when I heard whispers.

"You're _still_ upset with me?"

It was unmistakably Arthur's voice - prideful, hurt… a tone which made my heart wrench.

"Oh, you got that after an hour of me giving you the silent treatment, did you?" Merlin asked, dryly.

I still couldn't see either of them, but I could tell they were close by.

"He was bothering me. I didn't like the way he was… I just don't like him, alright?"

"Why?" Merlin demanded, "He's saved your life so many times, Arthur. He's been nothing but nice to you."

"Alright, I _do _like him. I just don't like…" Arthur sighed. Expressing himself had always been difficult for him, "The way he talks."

"Oh right, and _how _does he talk, exactly?"

"He just chatters non-stop. And all nonsense too."

Merlin sighed irritably. "Well, _I_ enjoy his company. You don't have to."

"I do enjoy his company… but.." Arthur made a strangled noise, "I just… can't stand the two of you… together."

_What?_

"What?" Merlin asked, sounding as confused as I felt, "What do you mean?"

"What do you think I mean?" Arthur said, hotly.

"I honestly don't know."

"You're an idiot."

"Well at least I'm not a dollophead."

"You _are _a dollophead."

"Not as much as you."

"Oh, shut up Merlin."

And suddenly there was silence… broken only by a sharp gasp and what sounded like a soft moan.

What was going on? My eyes were starting to adjust, and I could see the vague outlines of two heads together. I started to creep silently towards them, but I accidentally stepped on a leaf that crackled. The heads split apart.

"Who goes there?" Arthur demanded, "Show yourself."

"It's just me… Gwen." I whispered.

As I got closer, I noticed that something was off. Both their faces were flushed, their hair mussed. Merlin had the ghost of a goofy grin of his face, just as Arthur had the ghost of a smug one.

"Is… everything alright?" I asked.

Arthur nodded trying to seem brusque, but coming across a little embarrassed. "Of course. Are you alright?"

"Yes. I just got up to… well, you know."

He nodded and then coughed, "You should… um.. go back to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us."

"What about you? Aren't you tired?"

"I'll be alright," he promised. He looked at Merlin, a little sheepishly. "We'll both be."

"Don't do that again, Gwen." Merlin said, admonishingly, "Creeping up on us like that… you almost gave us a heart attack."

"I'm sorry." I said, quickly, "I won't do it again." I looked from his glowing face to Arthur's. "Are you sure you two are alright?"

"Absolutely positive," Arthur said, smiling.


	3. The Future King and The Greatest Warlock

**So the prompt for this is 'The Once and Future King and The Greatest Warlock', the third step in Merlin and Arthur's relationship. Again, this is totally unrelated to the first two pieces. **

**This is a collaboration piece with Riss and Liz. You can check them out on tumblr, their urls are dylanobrolin and larielaris, respectively. We've all written the same story from different points of view. I've done Merlin's POV. But you can find Arthur's POV here (archiveofourown dot org /works/1099678) and the Dragon's POV here (link will be added later). **

**This is an AU, looking at how things would have been if Arthur had accidentally discovered Merlin's magic and had made him the court sorcerer.**

* * *

**The Once and Future King and The Greatest Warlock**

Everything was familiar but strange.

Merlin knew these rooms better than he knew his spells. He'd spent hours cleaning them and making these beds… yet, now they were his. They were his own chambers. His clothes were in the closet, his books were on the bedside and someone else was making the beds and cleaning the floors.

He knew the main hall, of course, but it seemed different from the front. He was so used to standing at the back with the other servants. But now he was seated on a chair by Arthur's side, looking upon people's faces as opposed to their backs or their profiles.

Everything was different. It felt dizzying.

Most of all, Merlin had to remind himself that he could use his magic in front of Arthur. He was in a habit of hiding it, and so occasionally started in surprise when Arthur would turn to him, his azure eyes wide and earnest and say, "Can't you just do it with magic?"

Though sometimes it wasn't what Arthur was saying, so much as the way he was saying it.

Arthur always had this… look. A look that he reserved specially for Merlin. A look that could make Merlin melt inside. Because while Arthur's lips always said something obnoxious, his eyes said something different. They always had.

But there was something different in the way he looked at him now… after that cold night in his chambers when he confronted him and Merlin confessed. There was something in that look. Merlin couldn't count the amount of times he'd caught Arthur staring at him with that unreadable expression in his eyes.

What was he thinking? Did it mean anything?

Merlin knew what he hoped it meant, even though it couldn't have meant that. Not when Gwen was in the picture. She was beautiful, courageous, wise… how could anyone want a clumsy oaf like him over that? Yet Merlin wished it was true. And he felt guilty for wishing it was true. Gwen was his friend… how could he harbour thoughts about her…

It didn't matter. He was going to push it aside because it didn't make any difference. What actually mattered was that his dream had been realized. Arthur knew the truth and now Merlin was where he belonged. By his side.

But there was a small part of him that missed the way things used to be. Not that he wanted to go back to hiding his magic… but as a servant, Merlin had the advantage of being at Arthur's side all the time. Not just in court. However, now Arthur had a new servant, Timothy, and he was the one who got to be by Arthur's side. He was the one who got to bathe him and dress him and be in his chambers in the middle of the night.

It didn't _bother_ Merlin. Obviously Arthur needed a new servant. But it made him squeamish picturing Arthur sharing the same kind of intimacy they shared, with… well, with someone else.

* * *

It was the end of a long, hot day and Merlin felt like the meeting had dragged on for weeks. He had presented his idea on how to create a sanctuary for the druids who were being attacked by King Bayard, and was greatly relived to finally be done with it. Even though he had received an applause from the knights when he was done, his queasiness hadn't gone away until he was seated firmly back in his chair. He never had quite gotten the hang of public speaking. But then again, it could have been worse… at least Arthur was by his side. He risked another glance at the king and grinned when he noticed him staring. Once again, he had that unreadable expression in his eyes. Merlin muttered a spell under his breath and Arthur's head flew sideways, so that he was staring straight ahead.

"Merlin!" He hissed, struggling to move.

"You should be paying more attention, your highness." Merlin drawled, flippantly.

Arthur glared at him as best as he could and Merlin released the neck-locking spell, trying to stifle his laughter. He made eye-contact with Gwaine who grinned at him.

Merlin knew he shouldn't have been messing around in the meetings, but sometimes Arthur asked for it. Plus, after all the missed opportunities to mess with the royal prat when he was hiding his magic, it was hard not to irritate him with it now that he had the freedom to do so.

The meeting finally ended with a few issues being resolved and the court was adjourned. The knights filed out and Gwaine and Percival waved to him as they left the hall. Leon gestured for him to follow them, but Merlin lingered at the round table, pretending to be busy but in actuality just shuffling around some papers. As he suspected, Arthur hung around too, awkwardly scuffling his feet. As soon as the hall emptied, Arthur turned to look at him, and Merlin purposefully avoided his gaze knowing the effect those electric blue eyes had on him.

"Something on your mind?" he asked the king, nonchalantly.

"You like the power don't you?" Arthur asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

"I don't know what you're talking about, my lord."

"Come now, Merlin." He said, leaning on the table, "No need to play dumb with me."

Merlin finally turned to face him, and for a second their blue eyes met. A hundred things rushed through Merlin's mind and he opened his mouth to admonish Arthur for his words. Arthur was the one who was born to rule - to command - and Merlin had always been content to help from the shadows. Of course, he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy finally being acknowledged for all that he had done, but that's all he had ever wanted. He just wanted Arthur to know what he'd done. He didn't, and never had, wanted the power. But he realized quickly that that wasn't the way Arthur had meant it.

"It's not about the power," Merlin said softly, "It's about the freedom to be who I am."

Arthur's mouth fell open slightly. A deep pain appeared in those eyes and Arthur's lips twitched, almost as if he was wishing he could turn back time and make things easier for Merlin. Or perhaps Merlin was just interpreting the look wrongly.

"I am thankful for all that you've done, Merlin. I hope you know that," Arthur said, quietly, "Everything we have now, the people we've become, the kingdom we've built… it's all thanks to you."

Merlin felt his face get hot and he quickly dropped his gaze. He rubbed at a groove on the round table, hoping Arthur couldn't see the hint of a smile he was desperately trying to hide. He opened his mouth to reply, but his words were stolen by the clanging of warning bells.

* * *

Merlin roared a spell and the bearded man was thrown back against the wall. He groaned in pain and tried to gasp out a counter spell, but before he could, Merlin had wordlessly thrown out another. An invisible hand grabbed the man by the neck and dragged him up the wall. The man struggled against the force of the magic, his legs flailing wildly. It was only when Merlin heard the unmistakable sound of Arthur's steps behind him that let go of the man, who fell amongst the rubble of the great hall… a rubble that he had created while Merlin and Arthur were out looking for him in the hallways. A painful lump rose in Merlin's throat as he realised that Sir. Elkit was lying dead somewhere under that rubble. He was tempted to shoot out another spell, to cause the man a little extra pain, but he restrained as Arthur stalked up to the crumpled figure. The king poked the tip of Excalibur into the man's chest.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Arthur demanded, his face hard. Merlin could see the rage behind his eyes. Uther had taught Arthur to hide his emotions, but Merlin knew he felt more for his men than anyone else in the kingdom.

"I am the true Emrys." The man spat.

Merlin almost laughed.

"I have come to claim my title."

_If you're the true Emrys, then why have I been running after this prat this whole time? _Merlin wanted to ask, mentally reprimanding himself for even thinking about making jokes at a moment like this. He turned to Arthur and was surprised to see the prince standing tall, his jaw set.

"There is only one Emrys," Arthur proclaimed, "And he stands here beside me."

There was something about the way he said it that filled Merlin with the utmost pride.

* * *

Merlin had been unable to sleep properly the night before.

He couldn't stop thinking about the man from the previous day. He was a druid man, which was surprising, as the druids were usually a very peaceful people. He was claiming he was 'the true Emrys', and that Merlin had stolen his form so that he could take over Camelot. It was all rubbish of course, and everyone knew it. But it shocked Merlin. Just a few months ago, he was a nobody. The worst servant in all of Camelot. The name Emrys was known only to a few. Yet now he was 'King Arthur's sorcerer. The Greatest Warlock ever to have walked the earth'. Now, there were conspiracy theories surrounding him. There were people who were claiming to be him. It made him nauseous.

"Excuse me." A voice from behind Merlin said.

Merlin turned around to see Arthur's new servant, Timothy, standing behind him holding a heap of clothes. He looked extremely disgruntled and Merlin couldn't help but chuckle.

"Driving you crazy?" He asked, smiling.

The boy shrugged. "You know how it is. You were his servant before, weren't you?"

Merlin nodded. "Overworked me to the bone."

"He has his days," the boy agreed, "But honestly it ain't too bad. He doesn't talk much."

Merlin's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" he asked, disbelievingly. _Arthur _didn't talk too much? Perhaps the boy was mixing up the royal prattler with someone else.

"Yeah and it's really odd." The boy looked around the corridor before hissing to Merlin. "He doesn't let me dress him."

Alright, the boy was _definitely _talking about someone else. The last time Merlin served Arthur, the clotpole couldn't even put his own shirt on… now he was dressing himself?

"How about I take those clothes to him?" Merlin suggested to the sweating boy.

"Nah. I couldn't let you do that."

"Honestly. I was going there anyway."

The boy looked hesitant, but finally nodded. "I have to muck out the stables too. It would be a big help if you could."

Merlin tried not to look too eager as he took the pile of clothes from the boy and scuttled over to Arthur's room. Even after all this time it felt so natural to do chores for Arthur, he mused, as he knocked on the door.

"Come in." Arthur called, lazily.

Merlin pushed open the door and grinned as he saw the king still sprawled out in his bed.

"Alright, let's have you lazy daisy." he said, teasingly as he closed the door sharply behind him.

Merlin pulled the shirt on Arthur and stood back to admire his handiwork, like he had done every day for years. He could see a look of adoration appear in the king's blue eyes and he quickly ducked to grab the robe that had fallen onto the ground. He threw it around Arthur's shoulders, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to fasten the robe's clasp. Had they changed the design of the damn thing?

"Merlin?"

"Hmm?"

"You won't… leave me, will you?"

Merlin's head jerked up in surprise.

"My side.. I mean." Arthur said, hastily, "You'll be by my side for good, won't you?"

There wasn't a doubt in his mind.

"Of course, you're my King." Merlin said, matter-of-factly. He gave up and used magic to fasten the clasp. It clicked and he looked up at Arthur, a smirk playing on his lips, "and I'm your Warlock."

* * *

**Merry Christmas! Try not to think too much about how it's been a year since the last episode of Merlin aired. But if you can't help it, let's all wail about it together. And warn your friends not to watch Merlin, lest they become as emotionally damaged as us! **

**Just a warning, the next one-shot deals with Arthur's death. I'm sorry. **


	4. Arthur and Merlin

**Prompt Four: Arthur and Merlin **

**Arthur and Merlin's internal monologue during Arthur's death. This takes place in the canon-verse. **

**_Why Arthur didn't say 'I Love You...' _  
**

* * *

**Arthur and Merlin**

"I want to say… something I've never said to you before…"

Merlin's heart froze.

Was he really going to say it?

After all these years, was he really going to hear those words come out of Arthur's mouth? Arthur had never been good at expressing his feelings. He was emotionally stunted, as Merlin called it, unable to voice a heartfelt sentiment without following it up with an insult. Merlin knew how he truly felt, of course. He always had. But it would be nice to hear the words. Plain and simple. No teasing, no banter… just the three simple words.

Was he really going to say them? And more importantly, did Merlin actually want to hear them?

Merlin clutched Arthur tighter in his arms; desperately, longingly. Unwilling to let go.

He couldn't die. Not now. Everything was over now. They were finally at peace. Morgana and all her allies were dead, Arthur knew about his magic. Everything was the way the way it was meant to be.

What kind of cruel universe would take Arthur from him now?

He wanted to hear the words.

It wasn't that he needed reassurance… he knew how much Arthur cared for him. Everyone did. And it wasn't just the way he constantly went to great lengths to save Merlin's life and the things he said either. It was the way he looked at him, his eyes so full of endearment. The way he'd gently tap his back or tenderly muss his hair. Looking down at him now, Merlin could see his own feelings for the king mirrored in those large, azure eyes.

But to hear the words…

Merlin couldn't remember the one time Arthur had hugged him. He had tried and tried, but all he had was the memory of Gwaine telling him about it. "They way he hugged you!" The knight had said, shaking his shaggy hair. "It was like he never wanted to let you go."

But Merlin didn't remember. He couldn't remember.

It hurt.

That's why he needed him to say it… he needed something to cling on to. To remember.

To hear those three beautiful words emerging from those beautiful lips in that beautiful voice… it could keep him going. For however long he needed to keep on going without his other half.

But then again… _did _he really need to hear it? Here was Arthur, in his arms, looking up at him with intense respect and affection. For the first time in his life, Arthur had understood everything. Everything that Merlin had done

_I don't want you to change. _

It was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to him. Arthur could have said _don't forget me, _or _take care of our kingdom _but he didn't. All he wanted was for Merlin to stay the exact same way he had always been because he loved him just the way he was.

Merlin pushed the golden hair from the man's eyes. Eyes that held a look of unadulterated adoration. Things felt different, somehow, now that Arthur knew. But that look was the same as before.

Arthur's feelings for him hadn't changed since his revelation, they had just grown stronger.

That look made Merlin realize that despite all that he had suffered, he would do it again in a heartbeat. If only to live another life with Arthur.

And just for a moment they weren't the king and his servant, or the uniter of Albion and the greatest sorcerer to walk the earth. They were just Arthur and Merlin. Together in their own little world… with no lies.

Just the two of them and their love for each other.

And in his last moment Arthur's full attention was on _him_.

The king wasn't asking him to take a message back to his knights, or telling him to protect Gwen. He was just lying there, searching for the words, staring back into Merlin's eyes.

His words from before still echoed in his mind.

_Just hold me… please_

And that was what he was going to do.

He was going to be the last person to hold Arthur in his arms. He was going to see the light go out of those beautiful blue eyes and hear the last gasp of that precious breath.

It hurt.

It hurt more than anything Merlin could even begin to imagine.

But it said _I love you _louder than any words ever could.

* * *

_I love you, _Arthur wanted to say._ I love you so much. I would rather be stabbed a thousand more times than ever leave you. _

But he couldn't say it. That was selfish.

Who knew when Merlin was going to die? It could be tomorrow, or it could be in a another hundred years. And Arthur couldn't bear the idea of him still alive and hurting, wishing that things could have played out another way.

He didn't have the right to tell him that he loved him and then die. To indicate that they could have had something more and then shut the door.

No, it was selfish.

Arthur wanted to profess his feelings because he had been dying to do so for years. For as long as he could remember, really. But now that he was literally dying he couldn't say it. It was too late. He'd missed his chance.

Saying it now was just going to insure Merlin would suffer. And he wasn't going to let Merlin suffer. Not if he could help it.

But he had to say something.

He had to let him know how he felt, if only to make him understand just how much he cared about him. But Arthur barely had the breath to say another word, let alone express the full extent of his love.

How could he tell Merlin that he was just half a man when he met him?

How could he tell him that he would have had an empty life without him? That he completed him?

That he was glad _he _was the one dying, because he knew he wouldn't be able to bear a single day without him?

Arthur was weak. He had always been weak. His whole life, he had been conflicted and doubtful and flawed. He would have been nothing without Merlin by his side, holding him up, giving him the confidence he needed. It was always Merlin that made him realize what he had to do. The right thing to do. What would he have done without him?

Arthur used all his strength to lift his hand and gently cup the back of Merlin's head, wishing he wasn't wearing his gloves so he could feel that inky black hair on his fingertips. He wanted nothing more than to guide the man's face towards his, to die with the feel of Merlin's lips against his own.

But that was selfish too.

If Arthur were in Merlin's place he would be destroyed to be given something and have it brutally ripped away the very next second. It was perfect for Arthur, he would die with that feeling. But Merlin… Merlin would go on living. Suffering. Miserable and yearning and terrified of forgetting.

No. He couldn't have that.

Arthur knew, without a doubt, that Merlin was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He knew even _before_ he found out the full extent of the things he'd done. He was the one person who hadn't betrayed him or hurt him. The one person whose love for him had been so pure that when Arthur thought about it, his heart hurt more than the piece of sword imbedded in his chest.

Arthur was only half a person without Merlin. He didn't want to leave him.

He had to say something.

He needed to say something that helped him express how he felt without hinting that they could have been something more. What they had was perfect and pure, and Arthur was the luckiest man on earth to have had it.

And he was going to acknowledge it.

Then he knew what he had to say.

He had said it before, but it meant something different now... and he hoped that Merlin would understand the true meaning of the words.

"Thank you."

Two hearts stopped. One forever.


End file.
